Hall-effect devices are often used in sensor applications for contactless sensing of magnetic fields. FIG. 1 shows a conventional Hall plate 100. The Hall plate 100 is operated by providing a predetermined current 104 along a first axis 106 between first and second supply terminals S1, S2. According to the Hall principle (and Lorentz's right hand rule as shown by 108), the presence of a magnetic field B causes positively charged particles (e.g., holes 110) which are traveling with velocity v during flow of current 104, to be “steered” or deflected in the F direction along second axis 112, thereby inducing a voltage differential between Hall effect terminals H1 and H2. The amount of “steering” or deflection of these charged particles depends on the magnitude of the magnetic field B, such that the magnitude of voltage differential between H1 and H2 is proportional to the magnitude of magnetic field B. Hence, in the presence of predetermined current 104, measuring the voltage across Hall effect terminals H1 and H2 provides an accurate measurement of the magnetic field B.
As will be appreciated in greater detail below, the present disclosure relates to improved Hall-effect measurement techniques.